After Darkness and silence
by popscb
Summary: A J/L two shot based on some of the spoilers I've been reading hope you like :) xx
1. Darkness

After darkness and silence

The early house of the morning were the hours he was used to travelling in, the darkness was slowly fading, morning creeping in, in a silent protest against the darkness. This time of day he found his had was clearest, it gave him time to think and feel at ease with his decisions just being alone with the darkness; but right now, sitting in the back of a London cab there was a darkness he had never experienced before, travelling further out of Walford at this time was like going into a different world. Shop fronts and neighborhoods that stood out in the day, that were alive with activity and memories were been swallowed up into a blackness of silence, the first sun for days gently rising behind it casting an orange glow for the shadows to fall upon. Driving down the streets, they looked nothing like they did in the daylight. It was as though everything had disappeared and had made a stand to not reappear. Suddenly the world felt small and compact- the smallest of things suddenly seemed to be those with the most meaning. He wondered what was happened behind closed doors, was their lives anything like his?

The Taxi driver attempted conversation with him to no avail, he was too caught up in its own thoughts; they were slowly eating away at him inside, constricting any form of sane thought from getting a look in. His head leaned against the cold surface of the widow, his chest felt heavy as he struggled to see beyond the streets around him. Closing his eyes blocking out the Laughter from those who were tripping their way down the street after a night on the town, he found he actually could breathe easier if his eyes were shut; it was a way to be in control of what he was seeing instead of feeling controlled- blocking out the seemingly normality of the world around him.

The taxi stopped at a set of traffic lights, willing his eyes open again, he noticed they'd reached the edge of the city, once again he saw young girls stumbling with heels in their hands walking down the streets laughing with their friends, a young couple walked past hand in hand, the males coat draped around her shoulders. He dragged his eyes away as the Taxi started to move again.

After a long shift at work and what had been a rough few days beforehand, exhaustion was finally catching up with him. The tiredness, physically and emotionally were growing with in him. He couldn't deny that this was killing him- no matter how much he was trying to be upbeat and optimistic, pushing through like everyone else, something was changing within him, it was like his head and heart were battling a decision that had been subconsciously made the second he received the phone call. 4 o'clock in the morning, 20 minutes to reach where he needed to be, and 6 weeks' worth of apologies stored inside, he felt as though he was slowly being disconnected from himself as well as the rest of the world.

The sounds of sirens indicated he'd reached his destination, all previous feelings of apprehension were gone within seconds. "Whoever she is mate, go tell her how you feel" the Taxi Driver spoke to him as he paid, this stranger was the only person to have spoken to him properly in the last few weeks about it, everyone else ignored the situation, pretending it didn't exist, worst of it was he knew the problem was getting worse and thanks to the last 48 hours he knew just how bad it was – hence the reason he was here now, standing outside the city Hospital.

Managing to drag his feet from the spot he took a few cautious steps until he stood face to face with the entrance. The action was a blur around him, uniformed staff rushed in and out with people on stretchers, others walked in with panicked looks, obviously seeking information on a loved one. A young couple walked in with a small child in their arms, he swallowed hard trying not to just run and get back into a taxi.

"Sir you ok?" a nurse placed her hand on his shoulder, seeing he looked a little lost. He turned to face her opening and closing his mouth a few times before he finally managed to choke some words out. "Erm… my … I had a call erm to say I er…" noticing that he was a little bewildered, as were most in this situation, the nurse guided him in. "Ok, if you give your details over at reception they can point you in the right direction."

Having gained the information he needed, he sprinted down the corridor in the direction he'd been told. It wasn't what he wanted to hear. The tears brimmed in his eyes, he continued down the narrow walkway, the distinct hospital lighting, sending him a little dizzy as he continued to run. The harsh lighting fading as natural lighting took its place, the dull haze of oranges and reds illuminated a small area of the dark room. He burst through the doors seeing his aunt and uncle sat in the chairs.

The silence was deafening as his uncles eyes locked with his own. They were blotchy and swollen. He took a step forward so he was fully in the room. "Where's Lauren?"

"Care now do you Joey?" the tears picked that moment to escape; they began to flow freely from his eyes. He sniffed looking at Max not caring that his façade was in tatters at his feet. "Please, I just wanna know if she's alright" Tanya stood taking his hand and smiling weakly at him.

"We don't know Joey, we haven't seen her yet." He nodded as Tanya pulled him into a hug, her maternal instincts coming to a forefront. Joey couldn't help the sob that left his mouth, his mind trailed back to the last time he cried like this- when he cried over his dad to Alice, his guilt over riding him, and once again here, the guilt was making itself known. In between Tanya's cries and his own he felt Max's hand on his shoulder. "Come on Joe, she'll be alright"

The next hour was spent pacing the room, dinking numerous amounts of weak hospital coffee to try and stem the tiredness and listening to the explanation Tanya and Max were given when they arrived. Lauren was currently being treated for numerous things, she had been found collapsed, and was unconscious, but the main issue was her heart. Her heart was beating at an extreme irregular rate and they were concerned that her constant consumption of alcohol had influenced this danger. After the baton of blame was passed around another half hour of silence fell upon the room.

Silence speaks, it shouts, and it talks louder than any word. Noise is often taken for granted in a world that's on caffeine high 24/7, and yet now as the 3 empty shells of people sit in silence in a silent room, a little noise is all they need, something more than obscure clattering and echoed mumbles, something to cut through the harsh white noise that danced around the room. The slight movement of the door handle had their attention in seconds; a male walked in who Joey assumed was the doctor.

"Mr and Mrs Branning, if you'd like to take a seat" he turned to Joey extending his hand "My names Doctor Wood I'm treating Lauren, you are?"

"This is Laurens Cousin Joey" Max paused and corrected himself "boyfriend well Ex-boyfriend, it's a long story… he needs to be here" The doctor nodded "Nice to meet You Joey" He ushered him to sit with Max and Tanya as he flicked through some notes on his clip board. "well, Your daughter is a very lucky girl, things could be a lot worse if she didn't get here when she did. Lauren's heart is struggling at the moment, for now it is coping but the same can't be said if she continues to drink the way she does, im assuming from the amount of Alcohol in her system that the drinking a more of a daily thing for Lauren." All three nodded.

"What's wrong with her heart?" Joey asked needing to know everything.

"Lauren has something called Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Its where there's a sudden weakness in the heart, it can be caused by stress but in Laurens case we think it's a combination of stress and drinking, your aunt and Uncle told us that she's had a few days without alcohol, so the sudden removal of it from her system will have caused her to experience withdrawal. Since she's been drinking again, her heart has had to quickly adapt in a short space of time, which is likely to have caused the Condition."

Joey sat just staring at what he'd just been told; he couldn't get his head around everything quick enough "this condition… is it treatable?"

"Very much so" the doctor smiled. Max and Tanya breathed a sigh of relief, Joey on the other hand needed to know more, he wasn't satisfied.

"How, what can we do?"

"Support and Love Mr Branning, there are no medical treatments for this condition" Joey eye brows frowned together "Joey… This condition is also known as Broken hearted syndrome, the best thing you all can do for Lauren, is to be there for her, stop her drinking so her condition doesn't develop into something more fatal"

She was broken hearted, that was the only though that was going round in his head, he literally was the reason she was in her. He hadn't believed her when she said she hadn't drunk, he'd basically watched her fall apart in front of him day after day and he did nothing about it. Her heart was broken even In medical terms.

**Turned into a Two shot so next one soon :) Hope you like… ive tried to really focus on Joey in this, as I wanted a bit of a challenge enjoy !**


	2. silence

"Can we see her ?"

"Yes she's awake, just go gentle with her, no stressing her out" Max and Tanya were soon out of the door but Joey lingered in the room, completely frozen to the spot. "Joey?" He shook his head "I don't think she'll want to see me". He sighed and pushed past them, but Max grabbed his arm. "You ran from her once joey, don't do it again. She'll want to see you" He continued to shake his head.

Tanya pulled Joey to the side as the neared the room in which Lauren was in. "She still Loves you Joey, surely you can see that… it's the reason I called you, Lauren's going to need you."

"I love her too" it was as if he was admitting to himself after all these weeks that he did still love her despite everything. "I do I love her…I always have" he whispered the latter of the sentence.

"Look, me and Tan will go in, talk to her first, if she wants to see you, which I'm sure she will we'll come and get you." Joey nodded taking a seat opposite Laurens room as her parents walked into the room. He heard the slight sob from Tanya as the door shut behind her.

He looked down at his hands, twisting and knotting them as if doing so would hold back the pain inside him. Hopelessness roamed the corridors, as people left their relatives, some in states of shock others just emotionless, he couldn't help but think where within these people did he fit? Three families surrounded him, each waiting for news on their loved ones. Some kids played with each other their laughter casting an innocence that even Joey couldn't help but smile at. He looked to his left, the male who was obviously their father sitting much like Joey- sitting twiddling thumbs looking at anything but the room opposite him.

It was Likely it was his wife for whom he waited; it looked serious. The father's eyes glanced down occasional to check on his three children, they were so oblivious to it all. The thought crossed Joeys mind to what it would be like to be that young again, to be able to view the world and not understand who messed up it could be. Across from him to the left of Laurens room, arm in arm, a young couple waited expressionless. They had Joey's interest for a while, the girl looked a lot like Lauren, her hands resting on her rounded stomach protecting her unborn child. He blinked as they vacated their seats, he was left with the lingering thought that one day he had some form of hope that that could be him and Lauren.

"She wants to see you Joey" Tanya walked out followed by Max, she was wiping her eyes but was smiling even if it was only small. Joey stood hovering by the door slightly "She's alright Joey; she just needs someone other than us to tell her they love her".

After a minute or so of coughing and wheezing greeted him, he rushed to her side shakily handing her a cup of water from the table. She lifted her hand to take it but he shook his head tilting the cup towards her lips. His hand moved to the back of her head, supporting it as she sipped the water, leaning her head back into the pillows. His hand moved down the side of her cheek, her pale skin feeling like ice against his. He pushed a strand of hair from her face; she moaned weakly and started sobbing on the bed. Joey moved himself so he was standing nearer the bed; in one swift movement he'd gathered her in his arms, her hands clung tight to him. "shhh, shhh, come on, it's alright babe, It's alright"

He stood bending over her slightly, his hands ran up and down her back, hoping to give her some form of comfort, she lifted her had from his shoulder, her glassy eyes locking with his of the same state. Joey moved back but she still held onto him. "Please don't leave"

"Im not Lo, I promise you baby, come on" he prized her hands from him but quickly entwined their fingers. "How you feeling babe?" she looked at him a sorry look written across his face.

"I don't feel like me anymore Joey" Lauren stared deep into his eyes "Mom told me why you're here, but I don't really understand… why now?" He could see the confusion on her face and he could understand why, he would have been confused in her position.

"Because I've been stupid, I listened to other people not you, I Let Lucy Beal of all people get into my head, but I should have believed you Lauren, I love and always have done, every time I saw in a state or with anyone else, I just wanted to take you home, but I thought I was doing the best thing for you babe." He could see her processing the information; she looked as though she was beginning to understand. "But it wasn't was it? I've broken you haven't I? Your heart" His hand rested on her chest, the innocent movement stirring so many feeling inside him. "your heart is broken"

She nodded taking his hand from her heart and laying it on his "so's yours" he smiled gently as she shuffled into the covers "I've missed you its just been a world of Darkness and silence without you" she bit her lip trying not to draw blood, "I know you have, I've missed you too" he could see her eyes gently closing, obviously she was tired. He moved cautiously onto the edge of the bed, smirking slightly as her heart rate monitor sped. Joey looked at her seeing she was nearly asleep, but her fingers were still drumming on his hand. "Lo?"

"Hmmm?"

"I love you, you know that right ?" she moved suddenly and looked at him, tears floating in her eyes. "I love you too"

"I'm going to help you get better babe, we can do it together, and we'll mend your broken heart"

**Thank you all for such lovely reviews hope you enjoyed this, ive actually enjoyed writing it more than I thought I would :) xxx**


End file.
